Institute for Mathematics and
its Applications, University of
Minnesota

Society for Natural Philosophy

Department of Mathematics,
University of Pittsburgh

Meeting Location:

Frick Fine
Arts Building, University of Pittsburgh

Scientific Program:

Mechanics plays an important
function in biology at every length scale. On the molecular level, mechanical
properties of DNA play an essential role in gene regulation, recombination, and
duplication, while protein and RNA deformability influences many biological
processes. The mechanics of membranes, microtubules, and filaments is key to
the healthy life of a cell. On cellular level, the cytoskeleton remodeling is a
vital function of living cells, and variation of mechanical response in the
cells is used to detect cell dysfunction. Cell mobility is an essential
mechanical component of wound healing mechanisms. At the tissue level, the
failures in the response of tissues to stress are at the core of many injuries
and diseases, such as bone fractures, aneurysms, etc.

Although continuum biomechanics
has already contributed to understanding of human health, diseases, injuries,
and their treatment, it has not yet become an integral part of health care
delivery. The difficulty stems from the complexity of cell microstructure and
organic nature of living materials, which require new theoretical framework for
design and interpretation of new classes of experiments. Behavior of
biomaterials results from interactions of constituents on multiple length and
time scales which cannot be treated by theories developed with traditional
materials in mind. In addition, biomaterials have complex geometries and
loading conditions that require new computational approaches to solve problems
of scientific, industrial and clinical importance. Biomaterials have a complex
molecular nature and undergo large deformations which requires the use of
nonlinear theories to describe their mechanical behavior. Additional
complications stem from the growth, aging, and remodeling capability of living
materials that change constitutive properties over time. Approaches have been
made both by generalizing classical theory of elasticity and by deriving
average properties of structured materials from microscopic and molecular level
considerations.

The goal of the meeting is to
facilitate interaction between experts in experimental study of biomaterials on
one hand and mathematical modeling and nonlinear continuum mechanics on the
other. This interaction will promote the exchange of ideas while enabling new
interdisciplinary collaborations that will advance understanding of the role of
mechanics in biology. Particular emphasis will be placed on characterizing the
response of biomaterials at the continuum level within the framework of finite
elasticity and related theories, and the development of new theories of
mechanics of living matter accounting for growth, aging, and adaptation.

Invited Speakers:

Davide Ambrosi, (Politecnicodi Torino)

Bernard Coleman, (Rutgers
University)

Stephen Cowin, (City College
of NY)

John Criscione, (Texas
A&M)

Larry Taber, (Washington
University)

Schedule

September 19, Friday

2:20 - 3:00pm

REGISTRATION

3:00 - 3:10pm

Welcoming address

3:10 - 4:10pm

Bernard Coleman (Rutgers)

On the often overlooked
importance of charge condensation in cell biology

The registration fee for SNP non-members is $25, which also provides a
one year membership with the Society for
Natural Philosophy.This fee is
waived for students. For participants attending the banquet an additional fee
of $50 will be charged to help cover the costs. All prospective participants
(especially if they plan to attend the banquet) are urged to notify Professor
David Swigon(swigon@pitt.edu).

Travel Support:

Faculty members, students, and employees of IMA
Participating Institutions are eligible to apply for travel support from the
IMA PI funds of their home institution. Those interested should direct
enquiries to IMA directly or to the IMA
representative of their home institution.

In both hotels, rooms must be
reserved by August 19, 2008 to take advantage of the reduced rates.

Transportation:

Public transportation provides a convenient way to reach both hotels
from the airport. The Airport Flyer 28X
departs every 25-30 minutes from Lower level (baggage claim) door 6, the trip
to Oakland Campus takes 50 mins. The bus runs along
the Fifth Ave. More information can be found here.

Parking:

Parking meters can be found on Schenley Drive
outside the Frick Fine Arts Building. A more economical way is to park at Soldiers
and Sailors underground parking garage, next to Thackeray Hall (see
below).U Pitt parking map can be found here.

The locations of the hotels and the Frick Fine Arts Building (meeting
location) are shown on the map of Oakland
Campus of the University of Pittsburgh; all are within walking distance
from each other.

Participants

Ashutosh Agrawal, Mechanical Engineering, UC Berkeley

Davide Ambrosi, Politecnicodi Torino

Julia Arciero, Mathematics, University of Pittsburgh

Gang Bao, Biomedical Engineering, Georgia Tech and Emory

Don Carlson, Mechanical Science and Engineering, UIUC

Yi-chao Chen, Mechanical Engineering, University of Houston

Bernard Coleman, Mechanics, Rutgers University

Stephen Cowin, Mechanical Engineering, CUNY

John Criscione, Biomedical Engineering, TAMU

Luca Deseri, Mechanical and Structural Engineering, University of
Trento

Yekaterina Epshteyn, Mathematics, CMU

EmreEssenturk,
Mathematics, University of Pittsburgh

Roger Fosdick, Aerospace Engineering and Mechanics, University of
Minnesota

KaibinFu, Mathematics, TAMU

Dirk Hartmann, University of Heidelberg

Tim Healey, Mathematics, Cornell University

Michel Jabbour, Mathematics, University of Kentucky

David Kinderlehrer, Mathematics, CMU

MarthaLewicka,
Mathematics, University of Minnesota

Gearoid Mac Sithigh,
Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, University of Missouri-Rolla

Ivan Maly, Deparment of Computational
Biology, University of Pittsburgh

Chi-Sing Man, Mathematics, University of Kentucky

Darren Mason, Mathematics & Computer Science, Albion Cllege

Mehrdad Massoudi, US Department of Energy

Walter Noll, Mathematics, CMU

David Owen, Mathematics, CMU

Bob Pego, Mathematics, CMU

Thomas Pence, Mechanical Engineering, Michigan State University

Anne Robertson, Mechanical Engineering and Materials Science,
University of Pittsburgh